So many campers say they want to get in early so they can get the best spot. There is definitely an art to NASCAR camping and that’s part of what makes it so fun for these fans. They have elaborate setups that bring all the comforts of home, to the excitement at the track!

Dedicated race campers know it’s not how you get here, but when you get here that counts.

“We got us like a little community,” said Susan Shrewsbury from Josephine, W. Va.

“I mean, you know, you get to meet people from every state you know, and you get to talking with them and you know you get to hear where they live, what goes on where they live,” said Gary Shrewsbury also from Josephine.

Some meet up every year, right here.

“It’s almost family now,” said Diane Darouse, from Hampton, Va.

Take this group of friends from Ontario. They drive down on a converted school bus.

“It sleeps six, seats eight,” said Todd Bunning from Stevensville, Ontario. “And uh, got a little wash room in the back corner, some storage, so you know, the trip down and back is half of the fun in itself.”

Then, there’s the Cantrell family. They’ve developed a see-through shelter, complete with carpeted floors and a fireplace.

“Last year we had a little space heater, and it sat under his chair,” said Susan Cantrell, from Maryland, speaking of her husband. “So, we didn’t get the heat, he did. So this year we decided that we were all going to get heat.”

“It just gets so nasty so you try to get as warm as can be,” added Dwayne Cantrell.

And then of course, there’s the cuisine. Around here, no one goes hungry. In the campgrounds, one fan’s food is another’s — they’re family, after all.

“You gotta eat, you gotta stay fueled up, but all in all there’s no crowd like a racing crowd,” said Ronnie Mattie, from Stevensville, Ontario.

These campers can really cook up some good food. Every time we visit the campgrounds we notice even more impressive setups. One family had a grill shaped like an engine.